The embodiments described herein relate generally to cleaning contaminated body cavities, and more particularly, to devices and methods for the cleansing of portions of the lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Today, many anatomical structures once considered beyond the realm of diagnostic evaluation and therapeutic intervention can be visualized and treated such as structures of the lower GI tract. By way of example, endoscopic procedures can be used in diagnostic evaluation and therapeutic intervention of the rectum, colon, small intestine, duodenum, and stomach. Generally, in diagnostic and treatment procedures of many GI disorders such as, for example, foreign body removal, gallstone removal, polyp removal, tissue biopsy, structure dilatation, stent placement (for patency and drainage), alleviation of constipation and/or fecal impaction, and haemostasis, among others, it is desirable to visually inspect, access, and/or cleanse portions of the GI tract.
In some instances, during routine diagnostic colonoscopies and/or during more complicated treatments of acute lower GI dysfunction, it is common to encounter mucus secretions, stool, and or bleeding which limits the visualization and/or therapeutic capabilities. While common, such mucus secretions, stool, and/or bleeds can introduce contaminants into portions of the lower GI tract, which can lead to increased risks of infection, morbidity, or mortality associated with surgical intervention or the like. Thus, to aid in visualization and/or cleaning of the lower GI tract, sterile water, saline, or other solutions are often used as irrigation or lavage. While devices are known to provide such functionality, some such devices are cumbersome, inefficient, and/or overly uncomfortable for patients. Moreover, in some instances, a device configured to provide irrigation, while used in conjunction, is independent of a device configured to provide suction or the like (i.e., non-integral, non-integrated, and/or otherwise not sharing a common structure).
Thus, a need exists for improved devices and methods for cleaning contaminated body cavities such as, for example, the lower gastrointestinal tract or other body cavities.